Is it safe for a breastfeeding mom to get X-rays?

Yes, it is perfectly safe for a breastfeeding mom to get any kind of X-ray, including dental X-rays or even chest X-rays. The radiation in an X-ray may kill off a few of the living cells in any breast milk present at the time of the scan, but it won't expose your baby to radiation.

It's even safe to get a mammogram, although mammograms of lactating women can be harder to read.

It is also usually fine to be exposed to “contrast dye,” which is sometimes injected before an imaging scan to help illuminate certain parts of your anatomy. It's safe because the dye is made up of molecules that are too large to pass into breast milk.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, which use magnets and no radiation, are also safe for a breastfeeding mom.

However, if you need a scan that involves being injected with a radioactive isotope – for a scan of your thyroid, for example – you will need to pump and dump your breast milk for a period of time afterward. Talk to the radiologist and your pediatrician about how long it will be necessary to feed your baby stored breast milk or formula.

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